Apparatus for distilling carbonaceous material



fr.; W ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1 6, i934 APPARATUS FR, DSG @t t:

BONACIEOUS MATER;

l,lames N. Vandeg'rift and Carl Pastel, New York, N. Y., assignors to international Bitenoil Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation 'ci Delaware l @riginal application December 28, i928, Serial No. $29,047. Divided and this application August il, i930, Serial No. 4%,4166

7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for dis= tilling carbonaceous materials and more particularly to the construction of and method of opera tionv of retorts` for treating carbonaceous mate- This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 329,047 filed December 28, 1928 for Method and apparatus for treating carbonaceous material.

In practice, it has been found that in the treatment of carbonaceous materials such as bituminous coal, distilling coal, oil shale, cannel, lignite coal, brown coal, etc., in retorts subjected to heat y of uniform intensity or varying intensity, there is ia al tendency for the material under treatment,

when heated, .to becomeagglomerated or caked and to thereby clog the retort to such an extent as to prevent operation of the same. We have discovered that such clogging and agglomeration can go be prevented by subjecting the material under treatment to contact with either air or gas from which the oxygen has been removed in the early stages of heat treatment, wherebythe .material receives a surface similar to a skin hardening.

as In our (ao-pending application Serial Nos.

253,479, led Feb. 10, 1928 and 299,928, filed Aug.

i6, 1928, issued as Patent No. 1,916,900, we have set forth apparatus and method for so treating the material to prevent this agglomeration and so clogging, which apparatus and method consists in subjecting the material to air and ue gases at the point of low temperature in the retort and removing thegases from the retort at `this point of low temperature to prevent the liability of comas bustion in portions of a higher temperature. Such a procedure was necessary to prevent.A the air from passing entirely through the retort.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved means for and method of prevent- 4o ing agglomeration, caking and clogging of material under treatment in a low temperature retort.

A further object of the invention is to provide means ior and methods of cracking in the vapor phase hydrocarbon volatiles evolved in low tem g5 perature retorts.

further object of the invention is toprovide.

(CH. mi2- 131) tort and be drawn from the same along with the evolvedhydrocarbon volatiles. Due to the fact that the oxygen has been removed from the gases before introduction into the retort, the passage of the same therethrough has no tendency to tu] cause or support combustion within the retort. Moreover, in the present invention, apparatus is provided for permitting the evolved hydrocarbon volatiles to be cracked in the vapor phase Within the retort itself. Such apparatus consists in a d5, tube extending well into the retort at its point oi highest temperature, upon which tube suction may be exerted to cause the removal of such volatiles. Steam may be introduced into the retort in such a location as to be decomposed in the presence of 7o. catalyst contained in the material treated, thus releasing hydrogen.' Y This released hydrogen unites with the volatiles cracked in the vapor phase within the retort thereby more fully saturating the hydrocarbon vapors to effect the recovery of a maximum of low boiling point oils.

Other objects, and features of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description read in the light of the ac-a companying drawing wherein the gure is a side view in section of a retortembodying the features of the present invention.`

Referring now to the drawing l indicates an inclinedv tubular retort rotating upon trunnion wheels mounted in blocks 9 and 10. Power to cause rotation of the shaft is furnished by means of a motor l2, gear 12'- and shaft 1l, which shaft l1 rotates the trunnion wheel mounted in block i0.. 'io the upper end of retort 1 is amxed a plate 2 which rotates with ythe tubular retort. Positioned in such a manner that a portion thereoil .extends Within the tubular retort is a feed pipe 3 which has secured thereto a stationary plate d. In order that the retort at the junction point between the rotatable plate 2 and stationary plate 9s ,li-may be air-tight, there is provided a packing `hopper 6 and from this hopper forcibly pushed into the retort by means of the piston 7 actuated 10o by crank 8.- .Since it is desirable and necessary that the retort be sealed from intake of air and from outlet of vapors, the stroke of the piston is so determined that the end thereof is some distance from the end of the feed tube so that 105 channel irons 5 extending through the entire length of the retort 2 for the purpose of agitating and showering the material under treatment continuously to prevent to some degree the likeli- 5 hood of the material becoming agglomerated or clogged after the application of heat thereto.Y

'Ihe discharge end of the retort tube 1 is sub` of burners 22 of any suitable character designedv to aid in the combustion of any desired type of fuel. The furnace surrounding the retort tube 1 is so shaped and designed that the burners are separated into three groups which are designated in the drawing as groups a, b, and c. Such separation is accomplished by means of partition.

walls 50 which extend around the tube slightly more than one half the diameter thereof. By separating the burners into zones, heat of increasing intensity can be applied to the retort to cause the gradual preheating of material in the low and intermediate temperature zones and' complete eduction of volatiles therefrom in the maximum temperature zones.

In order that gases may be introduced into the retort for preventing agglomeration or clogging of the material therein, a head 24 in the nature of a trap is provided in th'e top of the surrounding walls and from this head or chamber 24 a pipe 25, controlled by valve 26 leads directly into and through the stationary plate 4. The .gases which form the product of combustion are air and inflammable material with the air, having about four or five times the volume of the remaining material and hence Ithe inert gas is composed principally of nitrogen or nitrogenous gases. The

remainder of the inert gas resulting from combustionin the furnace passes from the surrounding chamber' through stack 23.

For the purpose of accomplishing cracking of hydrocarbon volatiles in the vapor phase, there is provided within the retort in the zone of highof the retort by means of spider-like arrangements 15'. The end of the tubular member 15 removed from they retort proper enters a column e having side walls 16 land a sloping bottoml so that any spent materiau discharged from the tube i5 will pass from column e through an opening 17 directly into column d. To the top of column e is'connected an outlet pipe 18 controlled by valve terial under treatment be withdrawn from the retort'without undergoing cracking treatment. the

rxvalver18'mis closed and the valve 20' opened.`

vValve 19' islik`ewise closed to prevent the entry -of steam into the retort. Carbonaceous material is forced into the upper end of the retort*l by clination of the tube and due also to the agitation Same.

est heat a tubular member 15 secured to the wallsv means of the piston 7 and as the tubular member 1 rotates, the material willtravel slowly down toward the discharge end due to the slight ineiected by means of the angle members 5 or channel bars.

lthe nature of a skin hardening whereby the particles, whichwould otherwise stick together, may pass through the retort without vclogging the These inert gases are withdrawn from the retort through pipe 20 alongwith the evolved volatiles and can be separated from such volatiles by'means of the usual condensing equipment (not shown). It is to be understood in this instance that this method may be. advantageously used when a' slight dilution of the inert gases driven from .the carbonaceous material is not undesirable. i 1

Should it be desired that the volatiles evolved from the carbonaceous material be cracked in the vapor phase, the valve 20'4 is closed, valve 18' opened and valve 19' opened to introduce steam into the retort. Suction being placed above tube 15, the volatiles in the zone column of highest heat will be sucked into this tube along with the steam and. along 'with fine particles in the form of ash 'or substance comprising aluminum such as aluminum oxide); aluminum silicate, etc. from the spent oil shales or other carbonaceous .material under treatment. lThese ne particles of ash or substance comprising aluminum act as a catalyst in an incandescent state to decompose part of the steam and to hydrogenate oil vapor. The steam decomposition is assisted by incandescent aluminum-containing particles of or resulting'from oil shale orother treated carbonaceous material. By such action, cracking of the hydrocarbon vapors in the vapor phase is accomplished with the recovery of a larger volume of light oils more fully saturated. t Such particles of ashV or substance comprisingaluminum pass throughtube 15 due to the rotation voi! the same along with tube 1 and also to the inclination of 13o' tube 15 into the column e and thence into column d to' opening 17. At this point, itshould be noted that ythe counter-weight` attached to valve 14 is of such size as to insure a column oijdistilled residue within column b of sufficient height to normally close the opening 17 thereby to prevent the escape of vapors from the retort in the column e or from column einto the retort. As soon Aas the column of distilled residue in the cham.

ber d reaches a sufcient height, the valve 14 isV automatically opened and automatically closedv after some of the distilled residue has been discharged.

1. Apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material,V comprising an inclined longitudinally rotatable tubular member, an inlet for carbonaceous material to be d istilled, a ltubular member of smaller diameter than said nrst tubular .mlnber extending into the 'outlet end thereof 1m sol and held in position spaced from the 'walls of the first tubular member and having openings adjacent the ends thereof, adjacent columns at the outlet'ends of the respective tubular members and adapted to receive solid distilled residue discharged therefrom, said columns being provided with separate gas and vapor outlets, one of said columns having an opening leading into the other above the bottomthereof, and :means for maintaining solid distilled residue in the second column to a height suillcient to cover said opening.

2. In. apparatus for carbonizing solid carbonaceous material, the combination comprising an inclined tubular retort mounted for rotation about its axis, means for charging material to lio be carbonized into said retort, a longitudinally rotatable horizontally extending cracking tube which is of smaller diameter than said retort, has an inlet opening adjacent an end thereof intermediate the ends of said retort, has anoutlet opening adjacent the other end thereof and is substantially imperforate intermediate said inlet and outlet openings, means for heating said retort to a temperature at which said material will carbonize and evolve vapors therefrom and for heating said crackingtube to a temperature at which saidvapors therein will be cracked, and means for withdrawing evolved vapors, through said cracking tube and from said retort.

3. An apparatus for carbonizing colring coal and recovering a high percentage of condensable hydrocarbons which comprises a retort, means for charging coking coal into said retort, means for applying heat to said retort in a number oi `heat zones of diiferent temperature, a cracking tube withinthe heat zone of highest temperature having one opening communicating with the interior of the retort and another opening communicating with a passage leading to the exterior of said retort and is free of any intermediate opening adapted for admittingl a substantial quantlty of gases and vapors into said tube,

and means for withdrawing vapors evolved during carbonization of saidcoal in said retort through said cracking tube and passageand re f member of smaller diameter than said casing, ro-

tatable about the axis of said casing, with openings adjacent the ends thereof, vmaintained in the-outlet end of -said casing spaced from the walls thereof, a chamber adapted to receive carbonized residue discharged from the lower end f of said casing, a receptacle separated from said chamber adapted to receive solid residue discharged from the lower end of said. tubular member, means for controlling the' escape of gases and vapors from said chamber, and means for controlling the escape of-gases and vapors from ly extending tubular retort, means for charging `material to be distilled at one end 95E said retort,

means for passing said material through said re.-

tort, means for withdrawing distilled residue from the other end of said retort, and means for exter- Y nally heating said retort to distill gasesand vapors from said carbonaceousmaterial, the combination comprising a steam inlet ,for admitting a point intermediate the ends of the retort andl substantially spaced therefrom and substantial- 'ly spaced from said steam inlet; said cracking tube being otherwise substantially imperforate except for an outlet remote from said inlet to said cracking tube, and means for withdrawing said gases, vapors and steam from'said retort through said cracking tube.

6. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material having an externally heated substantially horizontally extending longitudinally rotatable tubular retort, means for charging ma- .terial to be distilled at one end of said retort, means for passing said material through said retort, means for withdrawing distilled residue from the other end of said retort, and means for heating said retort externally to distill gases and vapors from said carbonaceous material within' the retort and forheating the portion of the retort adjacent the discharge end of said retort to a higher temperature than the portion of the retort adjacent the charging lend thereof, the combination comprising a steam inlet for admitting steam into .said retort adjacent the discharging end of said retort,.a substantially horizon-.

discharge end thereof and adapted to withdraw gases, vapors, and steam within the retort only from a point substantially removed from the ends of said retort and 'from said steam inlet, and means for withdrawing the gases," vapors, and

steam from said retort through said cracking tube, said cracking tube within said retort `being adapted to be heated by said external heating mensyfor said retort to a temperature adording cracking of said volatiles in said cracking tube.

7. In apparatus for distilling solid carbonaceous material having an externally heated substantially horizontally extending longitudinally rotatable tubular retort, means for charging material to be distilled at one end of said retort, means for withdrawing distilled residue from the other end of said retort, and means for heating said retort to distill gases and vapors from carbonaoeous material within the retort, the combination comprising an inlet ior inert gases at one end of said retort. pipe connections extending from `the external heating means to the inlet for inert gases, an inlet for steam at the opposite end of said retort, and a longitudinally rotatable substantially horizontally extending cracking tube within the retort adapted for the withdrawal of gases, vapors, and steam from said retort only at a point intermediate said inert gas inlet and said steam inlet and substantially spaced therefrom, and means for withdrawing said gases, vapors, and steam from said retort through said cracking tube i CARL POSTEL.

JAMES N. VANDEGRIFT. 

